Mazda is considering a new rotary sports car, potentially reviving the RX series with a two-rotor engine that would act as a generator for an electric motor. This concept, showcased in the Iconic SP, aims to offer improved power and lower emissions. The last rotary sports car from Mazda was the RX-8 Spirit R in 2012. The new model could be larger and more powerful than the MX-5 Miata, but its production is still uncertain.
The Mazda RX-Vision concept, unveiled at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, showcased a sleek design and a next-generation Skyactiv-R rotary engine, hinting at a potential successor to the RX-7. Despite not making it to production, Mazda continued to explore the concept, creating a GT3 race car version for Gran Turismo Sport and even developing a 1:18-scale model. While the likelihood of a new rotary-powered Mazda sports coupe remains uncertain, recent developments such as the Iconic SP concept and Mazda's announcement of developing a new Wankel engine offer a glimmer of hope for enthusiasts. As of 2023, the RX-Vision is on display at the Mazda Museum in Hiroshima, Japan, where it is meticulously preserved.
Professional drifter Mad Mike Whiddett has unveiled his latest project, the "Madaz 787D," a tribute car inspired by the Mazda 787B race car. The front-engined tube frame car features the world's first five-rotor engine and was built for the sole purpose of showcasing the awesomeness of rotary engines. While not built for any specific racing or drifting series, the car serves as a demonstration vehicle. The engine, designed and built by Pulse Performance Race Engineering, has a 3.3-liter capacity but its power output is unknown. However, it produces the distinctive sound characteristic of rotary engines.
Professional drifting competitor "Mad" Mike Whiddett has built the world's first five-rotor car, called the 787D, featuring a 3.3-liter engine. The vehicle, based on the Mazda RX-7, boasts a tube chassis and a radically altered engine. While no power output details are available, a video confirms the engine sounds monstrous. Whiddett premiered the car at an event in New Zealand and plans to use it for drifting. Hot Wheels has also released a miniature version of the 787D.
A six-rotor Mazda RX-7, built by Humphries Steel & Performance and owned by Mukka Motorsports, showcases the unique and captivating sound of rotary engines. The car features a massive six-rotor engine, a six-speed sequential gearbox, and a clever dry-sump oiling system. The misfiRE YouTube channel provides an up-close look at the car's suspension, cooling, and impressive acceleration, including massive burnouts.
Apex Manufacturing and Design has built a twelve-rotor engine for speed boat racing, which is the exact shape of a Big Block Chevy. The engine made 800 lb-ft of torque at 2000 rpm and can spin past 9000 rpm. The need for it to run at wide-open-throttle for hours sounds like solid ground for a rotary design, which usually works best at high rpm.
The world's only 12-rotor rotary engine, designed by Tyson Garvin from Apex Manufacturing and Design, has been featured on YouTube by Rob Dahm. The engine is the same size as a Chevy big block V8 but has 12 rotors, making it capable of producing around 800 lb-ft of torque at just 2,000 rpm. The team plans to disassemble the engine to build on Garvin's creation and document the process on Dahm's channel. The possibility of turbocharging could give this engine the power to rival electric hypercars.
YouTuber Rob Dahm has received a 12-rotor Wankel engine from Tyson Garvin, who built it at home. The engine displaces 15.7 liters and can rev up to 10,000 rpm, producing up to 800 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm. It is enclosed in a big block the size of a Chevy V8 and consists of three 4-rotor banks in a Y configuration. The engine has not been fitted into a car yet, but Dahm has previously built a 4-rotor Wankel engine for his Mazda RX-7.
YouTube personality Rob Dahm has been given a handmade 12-rotor engine, the most rotors of anything ever, which he plans to bring into the modern era with fuel injection and possibly even forced induction. The engine was originally built for a drag boat and never ran on more than carburetors and a pair of V12 Jaguar ignition systems. The teardown of the engine shows incredible engineering and is worth watching.
